High speed wrapping machine

ABSTRACT

A machine for wrapping a plurality of stacked biscuits in a single package. The biscuits are fed to the machine stacked on edge in a continuous column. A pick-off wheel removes the biscuits from the column two at a time as a unit and a transfer wheel transfers this unit to a wrapping wheel upon which the unit is partially wrapped and sealed. A second transfer wheel removes the unit from the wrapping wheel and delivers it to a folding plow arrangement which completes the wrapping operation whereupon a final sealing of the wrapping takes place.

United States Patent [191 Griner 1 June 25, 1974 1 1 HIGH SPEED WRAPPING MACHINE [75] Inventor: Arthur J. Griner, Delray Beach,

21 Appl. No.: 357,788

[52] US. Cl 53/133, 53/233, 53/234 [51] Int. C1 B65b 61/18, B65b 11/42 [58] Field of Search 53/133, 225, 230, 231, 53/229, 234, 233; 93/1 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 942,101 12/1909 Price 53/233 X 1,545,513 7/1925 Peters.. 53/23 X 2,627,710 2/1953 Hohl 53/234 2,983,092 5/1961 Engleson.. 53/234 X 2,987,861 6/1961 Brook 53/225 3,035,379 5/1962 Cleats 53/234 X Simeone 93/1 TS Youngman 53/234 X Primary Examiner-Travis S. McGehee Assistant Examiner-J. Sipos Attorney, Agent, or FirmGerald Durstewitz; 1. Allen Strombeck [57 ABSTRACT A machine for wrapping a plurality of stacked biscuits in a single package. The biscuits are fed to the machine stacked on edge in a continuous column. A pick-off wheel removes the biscuits from the column two at a time as a unit and a transfer wheel transfers this unit to a wrapping wheel upon which the unit is partially wrapped and sealed. A second transfer wheel removes the unit from the wrapping wheel and delivers it to a folding plow arrangement which completes the wrapping operation whereupon a final sealing of the wrapping takes place.

10 Claims, 36 Drawing Figures I l n: 1

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1. A machine for wrapping a plurality of stacked articles in a single package comprising in combination means for feeding a continuous column of stacked flat articles to a point, a continuously rotating pick-off wheel having means on the outer surface for repetitively removing a predetermined number of articles as a unit from the end of said column at said point, a continuously rotating wrapping wheel provided with recesses spaced about its outer periphery for receiving said article units, means for positioning a sheet of wrapping material on said wrapping wheel over each of said recesses, a continuously rotating transfer wheel for removing said article units from said pick-off wheel and moving said units against said wrapping sheets and into said recesses, means at the outer periphery of said wrapping wheel for folding trailing and leading ends of said wrapping sheet over the outer surface of said units in overlapping relationship, means at the outer periphery of said wrapping wheel for sealing said overlapping ends, means for folding the side edges of said wrapping sheet against said overlapping ends, and means for sealing said side edges to said overlapping ends.
 2. A machine according to claim 1 including means at the outer periphery of said wrapping wheel for partially folding the side edges of said sheet to form flaps, and a second transfer wheel for removing said units from said wrapping wheel and delivering them to said side edge sealing means.
 3. A machine according to Claim 2 wherein said second transfer wheel is provided with a plurality of jaws for gripping the side edges of the units, said jaws contacting and folding one of said flaps down against the edge of said unit to cause it to overlie the other of said flaps, said side edge sealing means including members for folding said flaps against said edges of said unit and members for folding the ends of said flaps against said overlapping ends.
 4. A machine according to claim 1 wherein said wrapping wheel is provided with first and second vacuum port means positioned on the surface thereof adjacent each of said recesses to initially be covered by said ends of said sheet to hold said sheet to said wheel spanning said recess, said first port means developing substantially lesser suction than said second port means so that when said article is moved into said recess said sheet moves with respect to said second port means, said second port means being positioned so that said sheet is moved out of contact therewith to free the end thereof when said unit is seated in said recess.
 5. A machine according to claim 4 including means for directing a steam of air at said free end of said sheet to fold said free end over the outer surface of said article unit.
 6. A machine according to claim 5 including means for directing a stream of pressurized air outwardly through said first port means to lift the other end of said sheet from the surface of said wrapping means, and means for folding said other end of said sheet over said outer surface of said unit.
 7. A machine according to claim 1 including vacuum port means on the surface of said wrapping wheel on opposite sides of each recess, means for applying a web of wrapping material to the surface of said wrapping wheel, vacuum producing means connected to said port means for holding said wrapping material to said wrapping wheel, means for cutting said web into sheets so that each sheet extends across a recess.
 8. A machine according to claim 7 including means for adhering a continuous strand of strong plastic material to said web, and means for periodically severing said strand and producing a tab shaped cut in the portion of the web to which it is attached prior to the operation of said web cutting means, said web cutting means being synchronized to cut said web at a location spaced from the point at which said strand is severed, said web cutting means having a blade which is interrupted across the width of the tab shaped cut to produce a sheet having a tab extending from one end thereof.
 9. A machine according to claim 1 wherein said transfer wheel includes a plurality of pairs of jaws for gripping the side edges of said article units, said jaws extending generally radially with respect to said transfer wheel, means for moving said jaws in each pair toward and away from each other, a rod parallel to the axis of said transfer wheel for supporting each pair of jaws means for rotating said rod as said jaws approach said pick-off wheel and as said jaws approach said wrapping wheel to decrease the rate of relative movement between said jaws and said pick-off wheel and said wrapping wheel to facilitate transfer of said article units.
 10. A machine according to claim 9 including means for moving said rod radially with respect to said transfer wheel to extend said jaws during transfer operations. 